Commutator brush



Patented Sept. 27, 192.7.

UNITED STATES EDGAR B. GILLELAND. OF KANSAS CITY,

JOSEPH MoSWEENEY, OF COUNCIL BLU'FFS, IOWAI' I PAT MISSQURI, ASSIGNOR or oneroimrrr To coivnvrurAroR snnsrr;

Application-filed November This invent-ion relates to an improved commutator brush for motor vehicles, being particularly designed for use. on Ford vehicles and seeks, among other objects, to

provide a brush which, by reason of superior performance in practical use, will materially increase the efliclency of the engine and eliminate many of the usual ignition troubles.

The invention seeks, as a further obj ect,to 7

' shell, and wherein the shoe of thebrush may be readily removed. y

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

'In thedrawings: I V

Figure 1' is a sectional view showing my improved brush in conjunction with the timer'shaft and shell of an ordinaryFord commutator, v v

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line 2+2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the manner in which the brush is mounted to cooperate with the contacts of the shell,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the device.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the shoe.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have shown my brush in connection with the usual timer shaft and commutator shell 11 of a Ford engine. The shaft is provided at its forward end with a reduced stud 12 accommodating a nut 13 which secures a washer let employed to overlie a locking pin 15 retaining the pin against displacement. In accordance withpresent practice, a contact roller is mounted upon the forward end of the shaft and secured by the parts 12, 13 and 14. The usual insulating ring of the shell is indicated at 16 while the several contacts of the shell which are embedded in said ring, are indicated at 17 The shell is, as is Well known, removably 19,1924. Serial no. 756,921.

secured over the forward end of theshaft 10 so that the contact roller willcooperate with the contacts 17 0f theshell. However, as is also well known, the contact roller soon wears out while the contacts 17 V, are worn by the roller in such manner that ridges are produced on said contacts. Thus, it is not only necessary to frequently. renew the contact roller but also, ineificient and faulty ignition is prevalentlyj experienced:

The present invention, therefore, seeks to overcome'these troubles. l V 5' In carrying the invention into effect, I provide a sleeve 18 which. is" preferably rolled from a piece of suitable resilient sheet metal so that the sleeve is, therefore,split, and projecting from one 'end of the sleeve is a supporting arm 19 while. from the other. end of the sleeve projects an alined oppo-v sitely-disposed guide arm 2O. At oneedge the sleeve 18 is, as seen in F igurell, formed ,witha notch 21 and, preferably, the arms 19 and are integral with thef sleeve so that, as will be seen, the sleeve withthe arms thereon, may be fashioned from a single sheet metal blank. Thearms 18 and 19arebent; near their inner-ends toextend in opposite directions substantially tangentially with respect to the periphery of the sleeve and the arm 19 is again bent near its outer end to provide a forwardly directed lug22" while the arm 20. is formed at its outerend' with a, radially. disposed eye 23' standing in angular relation to the latter arm. Mounted upon the arm 19 is a flat flexible steel spring 24 which extends freely through the eye 23 of the arm 20 and is detachably secured at one end to the lug 22 by a screw 25. Fixed to the free end of the spring is a substantially semi-cylindrical contact shoe 26 the rounded contact face of which is presented outwardly. Formed in the flat face of the shoe is, as particularly shown in Figure 4, a transverse slot 27 snuglyaccommodating the adjacent end of the spring. Rising from the bottom wall of said slot is a medial stud 28 which is preferably squared to snugly fit through a correspondingly shaped opening in the spring and is upset for rigidly connecting the shoe with the spring. The free end of the spring is thus countersunk in the flat side of the shoe, so that should the stud become slightly worn. the end walls of the slot 27 will nevertheless, coact with the side edges of the spring for limiting the shoe 1,643,842 E-NT. oFFIcEJW against turning movement. A particularly rigid mounting for the shoe is thus provided. .As will be seen, the sleeve 18 is adapted to be slip I over the forward end of the shaft 10 whi e thenotch 21 otthe sleeve is adapted to accommodate the pin 15; so that the Washer 14 and nut 13 may be applied in the usual manner, for securing the brush upon the shell, Thus, the brush may be readily substitutedoin lieu of the ordinary contact ro1lr.- v f Attention now directed to Figure of the drawings. As shown, 'the'sp'ring 24 is siipportedto curve longitudinally about the ails of the 'shaft 10 while the shoe 26 s held by the s ring to cooperate with the contacts 170 "the commutator shell. Ac-

when' the shaft 10 is revolved the springfwill trarel endwise around the shaft sothjzttthe shoe will be successively drawn over'the several'contacts of the shell to make efficient electrical connection with each of ctinta cts. 'In mounting the spring in themafiner shown, localization of stress on the spr iiig'is avoidedwhile chattering of the shoe against thecontactsl'l' of the shell is also obviated; The contacts of the shell will thus be worn smooth with the result that the necessity for renewing the shell at vfrequent intervals, as now experienced, will heeliminated. When the shoe 26 becomes wb rn, the screw 25 may be removed and a new spring and shoe installed.

The guide arm 20 is' provided for holding 'thefi'ee end portion of the spring against lateral displacement so that the shoe 26 will, it l weetsui ed to b a a t th insulating ring'16' o'fthe shell to wi e the ojifyacts l7 and, as will be observed, t e eye 23 is of sufii'cient height to permit outward 'ng'ef the free *end of thespring' as the 'we- 1' -s. Furthermore, should the k-fir W ee eee r ers its free end, when the arm 20 will serve to brace and retain the free end portion of the spring so that the shoe 26 will be pushed alon the surface of the insulatin ring 16 in a ,van ce of the arm. Accidental fracture of the spring will thus be effeetually avoided,

Having thus described the invention, what Ioclaini is: f 1 I 1 1. A commutator brush including a split sleeve formed at its ends with opposi ely directed arms one provided with an eye, a leaf spring secured at one end to"t'he'other of said arms to extend freely through said eye curved longitudinally in substantially concentric relation to the axis of the sleeve and a contact shoe carried by the free' end oi the spring.

2. A commutator-brush" including a sleeve having oppositely directed arms extending therefrom, a spring secured at one end upon one of said arms aiid having its free end portion guided by the'other of said arms, and a contact shoe having a slot seatingthe free end of the spring and provided with V a studextending throughthe spring connectlng the shoe therewith and lockingthe shoe against turning movement. 4

3. A spring arm and shoe assembly fora commutator brush, comprisingia shoe having a slot in which the arm is seated, a stud on the-side of'the shoeopposite thecontracting surface; an aperture in the ,sprin through which the stud extendstohold the i rigidly in position upon the spring arm; In te timony whereofI afiix my si natnre EDG R, G L LAND- f 

